The Girl Who Always Smiled
by Ali-Chan1
Summary: I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiled, even when her heart was broken and the one who could always brighten up your day even when she couldn't brighten her own. Anna's back, she's about to touch the lives of everyone in Newport.
1. That's It?

"So that's it?" The words sound hollow to her ears and she can see her parents flinch at the tone.

The doctor looks sad when he nods, "I'm sorry to say so. There are some experimental drugs we could try..."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Her mother's shoulder sad quickly in relief, she wasn't a woman who liked to admit defeat especially not in the face of a medical issue.

"There's no guarantee with the treatments Sarah," Dr. Brice informs.

"But we could try," Sarah insists, "if there's even a chance that it'll save my daughter then I want to try it."

"I don't," the typically petite blonde looks smaller then usual and her face looks worn and tired. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling sick. How much time Dr. Brice?"

"Three to six months," the doctor informs gently, "there's no way to be exact with the time."

"Will she be in pain?"

"David, you're not really suggesting that we go along with this?" Sarah demands, her eyes locked on her husband.

David reaches out and grabs both his daughter and his wife's hands, "this is our daughter's life and ultimately her choice."

"But..."

"Mom, can we talk about this at home?"

Sarah has tears in her eyes but she nods, "okay."

Dr. Brice allows the three to finish before answering, "there will be some pain. Mostly the headaches that started all of this, but I can prescribe a painkiller for them. And," his eyes stay locked on the girl, just turned eighteen, "there's a good chance of sight loss in the final stages."

She closes her eyes at the this, suddenly imagining what I would be like to be blind. To be blind and knowing that it was a final stage of an illness that would kill her. When she opens her eyes they are swimming with unshed tears, "is there anything else?"

"Anna, "I wish I had better news for you, I've watched how strongly you've fought the last couple of years," Dr. Brice stops, the speech was bordering on unprofessional but there was something about t his spirited girl that had grown on him since she'd become his patient. How often had he found her leading some sort of craft project on the pediatric wing while dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. She'd always been ready and waiting with a smile for anyone, no matter how horribly she must have been feeling.

And once again she offers him that smile, despite her tears, "you tried everything Dr. Brice and I'm eternally grateful to you for that."

Dr. Brice returns the smile, "everyone is going to miss you on this floor, because I'm kicking you out today."

"I'll stop by and see everyone," Anna promises.

"Well, actually," Dr. Brice leans back in his seat, "there was something more I wanted to suggest. We're expected to have a cold winter this year, and you're still recovering from chemo, so my best suggestion would be to go somewhere warm and dry. I know you have a home in California, but if you don't want to go there then go to Hawaii or Bermuda...all I'm saying is that you should be somewhere warm."

Anna glances at her father and he states, "we'll talk about it at home Peanut. Is there anything more we must discuss today Edward?"

"Not today David," Dr. Brice shakes his head as he pulls out a prescription pad. "I'm going to write the prescription for the pain reliever now and once you decide about the move give me a call and I'll see who I can get in contact with."

* * *

"Anna, please," Sarah stares at her daughter tearfully, "please talk to Edward about your treatment options."

Anna is settled onto a couch in her aunt and uncle's house with her father in a chair across from her and her mother pacing in between them. She knows this is hard for the, of course it was hard for them it would be hard for any parent to find out that their child was dying. But Anna was her parents entire world, they'd tried for ten years to conceive her and her mom was nearly 45 when she was born. At that point her parents had been married twenty years and they had spent their years afterwards as doctors without borders, but when Sarah was pregnant they'd settled down in Pittsburgh near David's brother. Both taking positions at the same hospital, Sarah as an ER doctor and David as a cardiologist.

It was Sarah who'd wanted to move to California, she had a free spirt and while most 61-year-olds had thoughts of retirement on their mind Sarah was just looking for a new adventure. David and Anna had willingly followed because they both had their own adventurous streaks. David had settled well into a life of retirement and Anna had made new friends. All had been well until Anna had fainted while she was visiting family in Pittsburgh, her parents had immediately flown to Pennsylvania and they had been by her side when she'd been delivered the news that she had a brain tumor.

She returned to Newport, pasted on a smile and let Seth believe that seeing him on a coffee cart kissing Summer had been the reason she was moving back to Pittsburgh. She'd let Summer believe that it was just because she didn't feel like she fit in there. She didn't know what everyone else thought but she knew that no one suspected she was sick and that was fine by her, she didn't want their pity. And so she'd returned and been faced with surgeries, chemo and radiation and that had been most of the last two years of her life, only now to find out that none of it had done anything.

"Anna," David stares expectantly at her.

"I'm sorry Daddy," Anna apologizes, "what were you saying?"

"We won't force you to take this treatment," Sarah's expression looks sad at her husband's words but she nods, "you know we won't. But we'd like you to consider what Edward said about moving back to California."

Anna glances between her parents and she's pretty sure that they've communicated all of this with just a few glances, "can I think about it?"

"Of course," David nods.

Anna stands, "I'm going to take a walk."

"Anna..." Sarah begins to protest.

"I'll bundle up," Anna promises. "I just need to be alone, please?"

David and Sarah's gazes meet and finally Sarah nods, "but take your cell phone, and please don't be gone long."

* * *

Within minutes Anna steps outside and is immediately chilled by the wind, a reminder that Dr. Brice was probably right about moving to wear it was warm. "Come on Swifty," Anna whispers to the black lab mix waiting on a leash next to her. He'd been one of the reasons that Anna had given Seth about moving back, but when he'd asked her about it she got so nervous that she began to babble of a list of reasons. Anything to keep Seth from finding out that she was sick, and now her parents and her doctor were asking her to go back so that she could die warm.

With a sob Anna drops to her knees, startled Swifty stops on his leash and returns to Anna's side. Anna buries her face in the dog's soft coat, she couldn't do it. Couldn't care the thought of dying. Of her parents and her friends watching her die. But this was what her parents wanted, she knew that they were grasping on to the hope that California's warmth would keep her with them so much longer. They wanted her to move back to California. She had to give them this because it was them who was going to be left behind. And ultimately she was going to die, so did it really matter where?

* * *

A.N. So there's the first chapter of this story that's been eating away at me for years, literally I've had it in there since just after Anna left in the first place. I thought it was all to sudden...but now she's going to back in Newport...here's a little preview of what's to come, she'll run into Seth and the gang fairly quickly, but look for her to keep her secret for as long as humanly possible! And just to be clear, I have every intention of keeping this Seth/Summer & Ryan/Marissa and as much as I love Anna and Seth or Ryan together. If you're looking for a Anna/Ryan story check out my _Shades of Gray and Pink_, which I promise I'll update at some point. Anyway thanks for reading, please review because I promise they do help me to write!


	2. Someday

Chapter Two

It had been a week since Anna had returned from her walk all cried out and prepared to tell her parents that she'd move back to California with them, on the only condition that Swifty came along this time. They'd readily agreed and packing had begun almost immediately and she'd spent most of the week trying to explain to her parents that everything didn't need to be packed, that there wasn't a point to taking everything with them. But they wouldn't heard of it and everything had been shipped to California the day before they left.

Tearfully she'd hugged her aunt and uncle at the airport with the realization hit her that this would be the last time she'd see Pittsburgh. She'd slept most of the plane ride from Pennsylvania to California but as the plane touched the ground she was awake and finally able to make a decision regarding the internal battle she'd been having for most of the week. She'd been debating whether or not to make her presence known to Seth and everyone else, or if she would try to keep to herself. But finally she'd decided that eventually word would get back to them and they would immediately assume that something was wrong. And if she was going to have to see them then she was going to attempt to keep the secret for as long as possible, naive as that may sound.

And that was how she'd ended up at Seth's door with her dad waiting in the car, she couldn't drive anymore they'd taken her licence away when she'd had brain surgery (it was standard procedure), so he'd wait until she gave him a single of some sort. She can hear the doorbell echoing throughout the house while she waits, secretly she hopes that Seth won't be home and that she can leave a message with the housekeeper or something.

It's Sandy who opens the door and he looks more then a little shocked to see her standing on the doorstep, "hey, Mr. Cohen."

"Anna, what a surprise! I had no idea you were back in town, come in." Sandy steps aside to allow Anna to pass through, she waves to her father before stepping across the threshold. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks," Anna lies with a smile.

"That's great," Anna states as he gently leads Anna toward the kitchen, "Kirsten, look who I found."

"Hey," Kirsten's tone is warm as she wipes her hands on a towel before pulling Anna into a hug, "it's so great to see you. Are you back for a visit?"

"Actually, no, I'm back for good," Anna responds, "Pennsylvania was to cold."

"I'm sure," Kirsten laughs. "Well, the boys are on their way home for dinner, which I'd love for you to join us for. I'm making beef tenderloin with balsamic sauce, wild mushroom and potato gratin and shrimp with tomato chutney."

"Wow," Anna stares, things must have changed because she's suddenly reminded in a flash of the disastrous Thanksgiving and Kirsten's obvious inability to cook. "I'd love to stay if it's not to much trouble and there's enough food." She's forcing herself to do this, to see Seth and get it over with.

"There's plenty," Kirsten states with a smile, "the girls were going to join us but something came up."

"Now, do the boys know you're back?" Sandy questions.

"Actually, no, I thought I'd surprise them."

"That you will," Sandy laughs.

Anna is helping set the table when Seth and Ryan can be heard in the entrance way, Seth is obviously in the middle of some story, "and then she gives me this look that was so..." Seth stops at the doorway, "Anna."

"Anna? What's Anna have to do with..." Ryan is a step behind but he stops as well when he spots her, "Anna."

"Hey," Anna smiles brightly, setting the final plate before approaching the boys.

Ryan comes out of his shock first and hugs her briefly, "hey. It's great to see you."

"Yeah, it's really good to see you too," she pulls out of Ryan's embrace before facing Seth, "surprise."

He takes her in, speechless at first, immediately noticing that there was something different about her. She looks lost in her bright pink hoodie and there's something in her tone that he doesn't recognize, but her smile is the same and when he finally steps forward to hug her he can still smell the bubblegum and vanilla that he would always associate with her. "I should Seth Cohen speechless," Anna laughs, "that's one for the books."

"Wha...What are you doing here?" Seth finally manages to ask.

"I'm moving back," Anna replies, "and your mom invited me to stay for dinner."

"Back, back?" Seth clarifies, "life, for good?"

"For the rest of my life," Anna admits, her smile faltering for a minute at the comment.

"Don't look to excited about it," Seth teases.

"Why don't we all sit for dinner?" Kirsten suggests.

So they make small talk through most of dinner, filling Anna in on the basics of what she'd missed while they were going. But most things were skipped, edited for parental content but the boys figured that Summer and Marissa would be more then happy to fill them in when they saw her. "Will you be going to Harbor again?" Seth asks while Sandy dishes out ice cream.

"Actually no," Anna shakes her head, "I'm done with school."

"Done? A semester early? I would have moved with you to Pittsburgh if I'd known that was a possibility." Seth states.

"You'd have had to deal with the snow, and I don't really see you in a snowy environment," Anna laughs.

"Well you better start picturing it because I've got an application into Brown," Seth responds as he accepts his bowl of ice cream.

"Brown, Seth that's great," Anna smiles, "good for you. How's Summer taking that?"

"Actually, she's got an application in to Brown too."

Anna arches an eyebrow, "Summer?"

"Apparently she did well on her SATs."

"How well?"

"Well, you know I'm not exactly sure..." Seth mumbles.

"She beat Seth," Ryan smirks.

Anna's jar drops, "really?"

"We don't talk about it," Seth states, pouting into his ice cream while the rest of the table laughs. "I can't wait to see Summer's face when she finds out that you're back," Seth states finally done pouting.

"Yeah," Anna nods just as her head feels likes it's going to explode at the onset of a familiar headache, the ones Dr. Brice had warned her would return. "I can't wait to see her," Anna forces out cheerfully, her hand moving to her temple, cursing herself for not thinking to grab her pulls before leaving the house.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Kirsten is the first to notice the slightly glazed look in Anna's eyes.

"Yeah," Anna's voice comes out weak, "I'm just getting a migraine."

"Maybe it's just a really bad brain freeze," Seth suggest while Ryan stares at her with a look of curious concern.

"I don't think so Seth," Anna offers him a minor smile.

"I can take you home." Ryan offers.

"Thanks, I should probably get some sleep. I'm sure I'm just jet lagged."

They're halfway to Anna's house before the silence is broken in the Range Rover, Seth had ended up staying behind because Summer had called talking a mile a minute. "Well, say whatever it is you have to say." Anna turns her head slightly, the motion only serving to aggravate her headache.

"What?" Ryan asks, "I don't..."

"Of course you do, Ryan, your brooding silence means you've got something to say. So what is it?"

Ryan's silence lasts a moment longer before he asks, "why'd you come back?"

"Not happy to see me?" Anna dodges the question she knew he'd eventually be the first to ask. She'd known that Seth would just accept that she'd come back to Newport, and the Cohens wouldn't pry, but Ryan had a natural suspicious nature and he'd want answers.

"Of course I am," Ryan states, "you know I am. But there's more than you just decided to come back, isn't there?"

"Everyone always has reasons for doing the things they do."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yes."

"Any chance you'll tell me today?"

"Not today."

"Someday?"

"Someday."


End file.
